Non-hinged portable easel to support and angle an object

ABSTRACT

Provided is an easel for supporting an object. The easel includes a base member, which includes an opening and a support. One end of the support may be detached from the base member and inserted into the opening. A grip is also provided, and one end of the grip may be detached and pulled away from the base member to form an object-receiving position together with the support. Back stops detachable from the base member are also provided, as well as additional openings in the base member for insertion of the backstops.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/333,526 filed on May 11, 2010, by Guldalian, Eric L., titled “NON-HINGED EASEL TO SUPPORT AND ANGLE AN OBJECT,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety. This application also claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/380,072 filed on Sep. 3, 2010, by Guldalian, Eric L. titled “NON-HINGED EASEL TO SUPPORT AND ANGLE AN OBJECT,” which is also incorporated herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a portable easel and, more particularly, to an easel having an array of non-hinged supports that lift off a base member at one end and insert into a key slot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional portable easels, also referred to as stands or portable stands, can be used to vertically angle and support a variety of objects, such as handheld electronic devices, photographs, and books. Some deficiencies with conventional portable easels include, but are not limited to: (1) requiring a flat surface when positioning the portable easel legs to avoid it from tipping over; (2) the integration of one or more live hinges made of material that wears, weakens and fails over time; (3) multiple components that are costly to fabricate and assemble; and (4) overall shapes that are bulky when in a collapsed state making it inconvenient to transport.

The prior art includes a folding support with a tripod configuration as found in U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0265109 to Derry, et al. Derry, et al.'s folding tripod requires three hinges to fold for storage and unfold for use. These mechanical hinges add to the cost and are subject to failure over time.

The prior art also includes a static A-frame configuration as found in U.S. Patent Application No. 2010/0282924 to Boies. Boies A-frame requires a flat surface or table to support its bulky A-frame structure itself, and particularly requires such a flat surface when used to support a device or book. Also, Boies bulky A-frame does not fold or collapse for storage, and thus requires considerable storage space when not in use.

The prior art also includes easels that transform from a flat state to an upright state using live hinges and other moving parts as found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,377 to Painsith, U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,365 to Glick; and U.S. Application Nos. 2010/0090085 to Corrion and 2010/0213331 to Liou. Live hinges and other moving parts are vulnerable to wear and tear, relatively expensive to machine and assemble, and prone to breakage.

Other examples of the prior art include stands consisting of two or more individual components that engage with one another as found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,690 to O'Neill; and U.S. Application Nos. 2010/0320349 to Necessary and 2010/0320341 to Baumann, et al. For two or more components to engage each other necessarily requires a joint, which is subject to wear and tare. Also, if one of the two or more components is misplaced, the entire stand may become useless.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention provides an easel for supporting an object. The easel may comprise a base member. The base member may have a support, a grip, and an opening on the base. One end of the support may be detached from the base and may be inserted into the opening. One end of the grip may be detached and pulled away from the base to form an object-receiving position together with the support. In another aspect of the invention the support may be divided into two or more branches with each branch having an opening into which it may be inserted.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the easel includes one or more back stops. In another aspect of the invention, the one or more backstops may be detached from the base member inserted each into an additional openings in the base member.

In another aspect of the invention, one or more locking members are provided. The locking members may be detachable from the base member, and may be used to insert into openings on the support and back stop, to lock the support and back stops into place.

Another aspect of the invention is that the easel's base member is formed from a flexible plastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the easel, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the easel, in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the easel, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the easel in use, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the easel in use, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the easel in use, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the easel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the easel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the easel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the easel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the easel, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the easel, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and,

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the easel, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art, that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

An embodiment of the present invention advantageously provides an easel for supporting small electronic devices, books, or the like. The easel also advantageously does not require a flat surface to avoid tipping over, or use one or more live hinges made of material that wears, weakens and fails over time.

The present invention also advantageously provides an easel which is not made from multiple components that are costly to fabricate and assemble, and is collapsible to a non-bulky form for ease of storage and transportation.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally provides an easel for supporting an object. The easel may comprise a base member. The base member may have a support, a grip, and an opening on the base. One end of the support may be detached from the base and may be inserted into the opening. One end of the grip may be detached and pulled away from the base to form an object-receiving position together with the support.

As shown in FIGS. 1-6, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an easel base 102 may be a flat piece, which may be made of a flexible material, such as plastic, for example. The easel base 102 may have a substantially flat surface. Alternatively, the easel base may be inclined slightly, such as between 5° and 15°, for example, relative to a flat plane. The easel base 102 may be shaped as a rectangle, a square, a circle, an oval, a curved line(s), also known as curvilinear, or a combination of the aforementioned geometric shapes. In addition, the easel base 102 may be made in different sizes or configurations to support an object that is in different sizes or shapes.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a back support 104 and a key slot 106. One end of the back support 104 may be inserted into the key slot 106. The key slot 106 may be an opening on the easel base 102. Once the back support 104 has been inserted, it may be held in this position until removed.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a grip may include a front right grip 108 and a front left grip 110. The grips 108 and 110 may provide a forward support to maintain a desired viewing angle of the object being angled.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, an array of back supports 104 and an array of key slots 106 of the same or varying sizes may be added. To maintain alternate viewing angles, or support objects of irregular shape, an array of front right grips 108 and front left grips 110 may be added to provide forward support in varying locations.

A grip 108 or 110 can also be designed similarly to the back support 104 whereby one end of a front right grip 112 and front left grip 816 may be inserted into a corresponding key slot 814 and 818. In addition, grips of the same or varying sizes of the front right grip 108 and front left grip 110 may be added to the left or right side of the easel base 102 to limit side-to-side movement of an object. To further limit the movement of the easel base 102 along a surface, slide restricting materials, such as molded or impressed protrusions, rubber bumpers, textured tape, for example, may be added to the underside of the easel base 102. To further limit the movement of an object comprised entirely, or in part, of a material with magnetic properties, either the back support 104 or the entire embodiment may be made using a flexible ferromagnetic material to pull on other ferromagnetic materials.

Referring to FIGS. 10-12, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, one or more back stops may be added to reduce the movement of the back support 104, front right grip 812 and/or front left grip 816. Such back stops can be designed with one end that is attached to the base 102 and the opposite end that is inserted into one or more key slots cut through the back support 104, front right grip 812 and/or front left grip 816 to create one or more openings from one side to the opposite side. The back stops may slide into corresponding one or more key slots to varying depths.

Referring to FIGS. 12-13, for example, the back stops 1228 and 1232 are designed to slide into a single key slot 1230 and 1234, respectively. The back stops 1228 and 1232 are geometrically notched to limit the depth the back stops 1228 and 1232 can slide into the front right grip 812 and front left grip 816, respectively. Alternatively, as shown by way of a non-limiting example in FIGS. 10-11, the back stop 1024 can be designed for insertion into multiple corresponding back stop key slots 1026 a and 1026 b, which may be the same size or of varying sizes. The back stop 1024 can be geometrically notched at the insertion end to limit the depth the back stop 1024 can slide through the back support 104. Of course, it will be understood that each back stop 1024, 1228, and 1232 can be designed to be inserted into one key slot or multiple key slots independently of other back stops.

The back support 104, the key slot 106, front right grip 108, and the front left grip 110 may work in a tandem with one another to support an object at an angle and may limit the object movement once in position. Another embodiment of the present invention may have one or more embedded back supports 104, key slots 106, and front grips 108 and 110. In addition, where two or more embedded back supports are employed, they may be entirely or partially conjoined embedded back supports 920.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the back support 104, the key slot 106, the front right grip 108, and the front left grip 110 may be rectilinear in shape with 90 degree corners. In another exemplary embodiment, the back support 104, the key slot 106, the front right grip 108, and the front left grip 110 may be curvilinear in shape or a combination of rectilinear and curvilinear in shape.

The key slot 106 may be cut through the base 102 to create an opening from one side to the opposite side. One end of the back support 104 may be inserted into the key slot 106 to a depth less than, greater than, or equal to the thickness of the easel base 102. In addition, the key slot 106 may have the same length and width as the end of the back support 104. Alternatively, the key slot 106 may be made with a length and width that is greater than the length and width of the end of the back support 104. The back support 104 may be inserted into the key slot 106 that is aligned to the center of the back support 104. However, the key slot 106 may be misaligned to the center of the back support 104.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the easel base 102 may be pliable and flexible. In addition, the base 102 may rest on a variety of surfaces, such as, flat, convex, and concave, for example. When one end of the back support 104 is flexed off the easel base 102 and is inserted into the key slot 106, the back support 104 may become rigid and stable to provide the necessary resting point for an object. The back support 104, front right grip 108, and front left grip 110, may be pushed back down so it may be flush with the easel base 2 when not in use.

In an embodiment of the invention, the base member 102 is formed from a flexible plastic material. Also, the various cuts in the base member 102 are terminated at their ends with through-holes to help prevent tearing, as is understood by those of ordinary skill in the plastic material arts. The preferred plastic material should be flexible, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). Additionally, the base member 102 may be made from natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or a magnetic powder combined with a binder, such as vinyl, to form a flexible ferromagnetic sheet material, and other flexible polymers.

Other flexible materials, such as but not limited to thin metals, flexible composites, or the like, may be used to form the base member 102. Use of a thin metal in the form of thin braided strands is also envisioned.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be used to support an object, such as, but not limited to, a portable electronic device 422, or a picture frame, or the like, for example.

Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An easel for supporting an object, comprising: a base member further comprising an opening on the base member; a support, one end of the support may be detached from the base member and inserted into the opening; and a grip, one end of the grip may be detached and pulled away from the base member to form an object-receiving position together with the support.
 2. The easel according to claim 1, further comprising one or more back stops.
 3. The easel according to claim 1, wherein the base member is formed from a flexible plastic material.
 4. The easel according to claim 2, further comprising a second opening on the base member, wherein the support is divided at a detachable end into two branches, and each branch is inserted into one of the openings.
 5. The easel according to claim 2, further comprising one or more additional openings, wherein the one or more backstops may be detached from the base member and the one or more back stops may be inserted each into one of the one or more additional openings.
 6. The easel according to claim 5, further comprising one or more locking members detachable from the base member, and wherein the support and each back stop further includes an opening, wherein each locking member is inserted into one opening in the support or back stop. 